Shipping platform



SHIPPING PLATFORM 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Oct. 16, 1947 m mm mm V a m.@ RJ m w 8 M W 6 zm 0 a 4 6 w 4 4 mm ,0 4 W "a m2 fi/ a July 15, 1952 B. E.RICHARDSON SHIPPING PLATFORM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1947 Pi gy.7; 5; 86

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Patented July 15, 1952 SHIPPING PLATFORM Beverly E. Richardson,Richmond, Va., assignor' of one-half to Jack C. Weaver, Richmond, Va.

Application October 16, 1947, Serial No. 780,239

4 Claims.

My invention relates to shipping platforms;

and particularly to platforms at the doors of the shipping rooms inlarge warehouses and; factories.

It has for its object the providing of aplatform which, with the wagonor truck or trailer tobe loaded or unloaded, will take up the leastamount of space in the street outside the door to the building. Trafficon a busy street is often brought to a standstill by a large vehicle inthe process of being spotted at a shipping door and at right angles tothe wall of the building. Another object is to provide a platform atwhich the spotting of vehicles may be accomplished in less timethan isusually required atthe door itself. Yet. another object is to provide aplatform which may be removed'from the street and be secured within theboundary of the wall of the building-when not in use; and which shall beprotected from vandals when not in use- My platform is triangular inoutline; the ob je'ct of this shape being to allow the vehicle which isto be spotted to be at an angle to the wall of the building, whenspotted; and so occupy less street space than it would if placed atright angles to the Wall. It is not new to build platforms which aretriangular in outline; for such platforms may be seen at somepost-offices where street or alley space is at a premium. In some ofthese cases a long concrete platform is notched at intervals, so thatthe platform has in effect a row of triangular platforms. But thesenotched platforms are fixed; and they themselves take up considerablespace, which cannot be reclaimed by raising the platforms. Were theyused by" industrial concerns in narrow streets, they would permanentlytake up much street space, would encroach upon the sidewalks when not inuse; and would not be allowed by the authorities.

In'the case of the fixed triangular platform: thevehicle may not bebacked up, on the first try, to align with the edge of the platform.Time is lost in pulling'out and in backing up again. Using my platform:I can spot a car quickly; adjusting, when necessary, the angle of theside of the platform to the tail-board of the vehicle.

In the drawings: Figure '1 is in plan, partly in section, and showing myplatform. Figure 2 is a view of the platform in elevation, partly insection; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view, in plan, of: the platform, toshow ways in which it can be: adjusted; Figure 4' is a plan, partly insection, showing the. platform raised. Figure 5 is a front elevation ofthe platform when not in use,

2 and when raised. Figures 6 and '7 are of details, partly in section.

In Figures 1 to 5. the walls of abuilding' are indicated at 12;: doorposts at I4; a door sill at: [6; the lintel at l8, and the ground lineat 2 0'.

In the doorway is hinged at 22 a triangular plat-- form 24; preferablyof steel plate. The hinges are of the pivot type; Near the outer edge 25of the platform 24 and on its underside, there is hinged at 26 the leg28 (Figs. 2 and 5'). Also pi-voted' onthe underside of platform 24 is ahook 3%, the en'-' gaging end 32 of which drops into the staple 34 whichis set in the door-post I4 (Fig. 5). A padlock 36 is passed through ahole 38 in the hookend 32 at a point below the staple 34; to preventunauthorized releasing of the hook. The other: end 40 of the hook 343 isso formed that it may be passed over the folded leg 28- when theplatform 24 is raised (Fig. 5). When the platform 24 is down, the hook30 is supported by theguard 42. v

The platform 24 may be raised from the down position by means of a ropeor chain indicated at 44; passed over a pulley 46, set under the lintel-[8 of the doorway; and hooked into an eye lii under the edge 25 ofplatform 24; To secure the platform when notin use: it is pulled' upfrom the position shown in Figure'2' to that shown in Figure 5; the hook30 is swung into place, its end 32 dropping through the staple 34 andthe padlock 36- is snapped in place. The leg 28 is secured by the end40' of hook 30, and also by the bracket formed by the upright pieces 50and 52, riveted or welded to the underside of platform 24*.

The piece 50 may well be a part of the hook to the type of vehicles tobe serviced at the platform. Some can be spotted closer to the buildingthan can others; and in that case, the angle. of the side against whichthey are: spotted with the wall of the building may be greater. Theangles which the two sides of the platform make with the wall of thebuilding may be equal. or they may be unequal. The length of the sidesis also affected by the width of the vehicles to be serviced.

The platform 24' in Figure 5 is shown inits raised position. The factorydoor, which is on the other side. of'the building wall, may now beclosed.

I have so far described my platform 24; how it is hinged to thebuilding; and how it may be raised or let down. I will now describe howthe edge of my platform may be adjusted to the back end of the vehiclewhen in its spotting it has not been lined up with the platform. Lyingon the platform 24, and adjustably pivoted to it, is another plate 60(Figs. 1, 2, and 4). Through plate 60 are drilled pivot holes 62, 64,and 68. Corresponding holes l2, l4, and 16 are drilled in the platform24. One pivot-pin, (see Fig. 6) is needed. This pin is dropped throughany one of the holes 62, 64, or 66 in plate 60, and through thecorresponding hole in plate 24.

In Figure 1 the plate 60 is pivoted to platform 24 at the upper cornerby the pin [8. Assume that the observer is facing the wall of thebuilding. The obtuse angle made with the wall of the building by theside 56 of platform 24 is shown as 120 degrees. Now assume that inspotting his vehicle the driver got the back end of his vehicle so linedup that there was an angle of, say, 10 degrees between his truck and theedge 56 of platform 24. Instead of pulling out and backing up again, andif the gap is at the outer end of side 56 of platform 24, the driverplaces the pivot pin HI in hole 64 in plate 80, and then swings theplate 60 on the pivot 10, which is in hole 64, until side 63 of plate 60is in line with the back end of the truck. If however the driver backshis truck up at too great an angle with the wall of the building, theback end of the truck will show a gap between it and platform 24adjacent the wall i2. He then takes the pivot 70 and drops it throughholes 68 and 16 in the toes of the plate 60 and platform 24,respectively; and then swings plate 68 until it is in line with the backend of the truck. This position of the plate 68 is shown by the dash anddouble dotted line B- in Figure 3.

The plate 60 can have an outline similar to that of platform 24. In thedrawings: the plate 80 is shown with rounded corners adjacent the wallof the building so that these corners shall not touch the posts l4 whenthe plate is pivoted at its toe, through holes 66 and 16. In Figure 3 athird position and pivoting of plate 68 is indicated by the simplebroken line C.

What I have said about the lining up of a vehicle on the right hand sideof the platform applies also to a vehicle spotted on the left hand side,against the side 54 of platform 24. If the lining up has not beenaccurately done, the gap can be closed by swinging plate 60 on the pivotwhen placed in hole 62 in plate 80 and in hole 12 in platform 24; or ifthe gap is adjacent the wall of the building: by pivoting plate 60 atthe toe at hole 66. The position of the plate when pivoted at 12 isshown in Figure 3 by the broken line C. The dot and dash line A showsthe position of plate 61) when pivoted through the holes 64 and 14.

It is possible that, when lining up the back end of a. truck, the plate60 may overhang the edge of the platform 24; as it does'in the positionsshown in Figure 3 at A, B, and C. It is then liable to tip if a heavyweight such as a hogshead of tobacco is placed on the overhanglng edgeof the upper plate. To check this tendency to tip: I set and weld inplate 60 a pin 88, letting it extend downward so that it may passthrough platform 24, under which it may be held by simple means. This isshown in Figure 7, wherein pin 88 is set and welded at 82 in theplatform 60, and where it passes through an opening 84 in the plate 24.Below platform 24 it is prevented from rising by a washer 86 and nut 88.

Because the plate 60 is designed to be pivoted at, and turned on, anyone of its three corners, the opening 84 in platform 24 is cut in theshape of three arcuate slots; each one described with one of the pivotsas center. As we do not wish to have to move the pin from its fixedposition in plate 60, the three slots intersect, so that the pin maytravel down any one of them. For example: when the plate 60 is pivotedat 84 (Fig. 1), and is turned on its pivot, the pin 88 will move alongslot 94. When the plate is pivoted at 62, the pin 80 will move in slot92; and when the plate is pivoted at 66, the pin 80 will move in theslot 96 (Fig. 5). When the plate 60 is returned to its normal position,and the platform 24 with plate 68 is raised as shown in Figure 5, thepin 80 will lie against the side of the slot 96, and so help to hold theplate 60 in position.

I claim:

1. In a shipping platform: the combination of a platform extendedoutward from the shipping door of the building; a plate laid upon theplatform, and having an edge extending alon and adjacent an extendingedge of the platform; means pivotally connecting said plate and platformadjacent the outer end of the plate and adjacent the underlying edge ofthe platform to permit pivoting of the plate on the platform to bringthe said edge of the plate to an obtuse angle with the extended wall ofthe building, cooperating guide means on the plate and platform disposedin an arc concentric to said pivotal connecting means, and holding meansassociated with said guide means to maintain the plate and platform in aselected contiguous relationship and against tilting.

2. In a shipping platform: the combination with the platform of a plateimposed upon the platform and having an edge substantially in line withan edge of the platform; a pivot located adjacent an end of the saidedge of the plate and pivotally connecting said plate upon the platformso that the said edge of the plate may be swung beyond and to an anglewith the said edge of the platform; the platform having cut through itan arcuate slot concentric with the axis of the said pivot; and pinmeans fixed in the plate at a point spaced from the said edge of theplate and extending downward from the plate and through the slot in theplatform; and holding means associated with the pin means below theplatform to check tilting of the plate when overlapping the edge of theplatform and during the transfer of freight.

3. In a shipping platform: the combination with an extended platform ofa plate imposed upon the platform and having extended edgessubstantially in line with the extended edges of the platform; pivotmeans respectively located adjacent each end of the extended edges ofthe plate and selectively pivotally connecting the plate upon theplatform at either pivot means so that any one of the edges of the platemay be swung on a pivot beyond and to an angle with its associated andunderlying platform edge; the platform having cut through it arcuateslots, concentric respectively with the axes of the said pivot means,the said slots intersecting and joining at a common point; pin meansfixed in the plate and extending downward from the plate and through theslots in the platform, and

5 which, when the plate is swung on one of said holding means associatedwith said guide means pivot means, is adapted to follow the S1017 0011-to maintain the plate and platform in a selectcentric Wi h he a s of t tpivot means; and ed contiguous relationship and against tilting. holdingmeans associated with the pin means below the platform to check tiltingof the plate 5 BEVERLY RICHARDSON when overlappin the edge of theplatform and REFERENCES CITED during the transfer of freight.

4. In combination with a shipping platform having a fiat upper surfacebounded on one side The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

by a substantially straight edge, a plate super- 10 UNITED STATESPATENTS imposed on said platform and having an edge Number Name Datenormally coextensive and in substantial regis- 820 842 Alsop May 15 1906try with said edge of the platform, pivots se- 963918 Miller July 1910lectively pivotally connecting between said plate 975543 figg j 1910 andsaid platform at relatively spaced axes ad- 1034061 Benedict July 1912jacent opposite ends of said edge of the plat- 1131783 Howard 1915 formwhereby the plate may be swung about 2117499 Poison 3 1938 either saidaxis to project either end of its said edge beyond said edge of theplatform and in FOREIGN PATENTS angular relation thereto, cooperatingguide 20 Number Country Date means on the plate and platform disposed in459,450 France 9 3 arcs concentric to said spaced pivotal axes, and

